WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are essentially tied for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the first time that the New York senator hasn’t clearly led the field.

The Illinois senator bests Clinton by a single percentage point, 30%-29%, if the contest includes former vice president Al Gore.

Clinton bests Obama by a single point, 37%-36%, if it doesn’t include Gore.

The survey of 310 Democrats and 160 independents who “lean” Democratic, taken Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points.

Polls being what they are, though, they can change in a New York minute (no pun intended). That said, no doubt Mrs. Clinton will be sharpening her claws and revamping her strategy after she reads news of this poll this morning.

The poll will definitely please the Nutroots left, who view Hillary as a ‘war hawk’ (?) even though she’s completely flip-flopped on the Iraq issue.